To Never Leave
by jamesandlilypotter81
Summary: Unbeknownst to Harry, James and Lily have been watching over him, hoping for his happiness.


**I'd just like to point out that this is a Harry/Hermione pairing, so it's not exactly canon. Sadly. I don't own anything, and I sincerely hope you like it! Please, review!**

The castle was eerily quiet as he followed the three young people up to Dumbledore's office. They had a certain look about them, he reflected, making them seem far older than they really were, despite the fact that they were only teens. He smiled slightly as his eyes focused on the boy in the middle—a boy he knew very well, yet had never truly spent time with—who walked with this spring in his step, as if something had been lifted off his shoulders.

"We're not supposed to be here, Lily," James said rather quietly, turning his head ever so slightly to look at his wife. Lily smiled slightly, but she didn't look up.

"I know," she said quietly, seemingly not surprised when James just rolled his eyes and took her hand, deciding that he couldn't ask her to leave her son, especially since he wanted to stay as well.

"Where are they going?" James asked quietly, and Lily answered without looking away from her son.

"Dumbledore's office. I think Harry wanted to explain what happened in the forest to his friends." James nodded in understanding. The two of them couldn't hear what Harry was telling his two best friends, they were too far away for that, but it was obviously something Harry would do—he could never keep his friends in the dark.

"You know, I thought you promised you wouldn't follow him around after Sirius died," James said after several minutes of silence. It was Lily's turn to roll her eyes.

"He needed me that summer!"

"He didn't even know you were there," James retorted, instantly feeling guilty at the hurt in Lily's eyes. "Look—you know…I'm sorry," he finished lamely. Instead of answering, Lily pointed to the trio they were following.

They had indeed gone to Dumbledore's office, and were now speaking to the old man, discussing everything that had happened. James watched proudly as his son gave up not only the Resurrection Stone, but also the Elder Wand. He was just about to point it out to Lily, when he noticed that her eyes had strayed towards the bushy-haired girl, Hermione Granger.

"What is it?" James hissed, not liking the way Lily was staring at the girl. A faint smile appeared in his wife's lips.

"Look at the way she's staring at Harry, James," Lily said softly. "Does that remind you of anything?" Wondering what crazy thing Lily was on about now, he turned to look at Hermione carefully. She had a faint smile, one that spoke of incredible pride, but it was her eyes—a soft, almost tender look—that made James realize what Lily was trying to say.

"It's how you look at me sometimes," he answered. Lily grinned.

"They would be perfect for each other!" she exclaimed, and James nearly hit himself.

"Look, Lily, you can't do this. Hermione fell for Ron, and Harry cares for Ginny. There's nothing there," he said as patiently as possible. Lily shook her head.

"Who's the one person who, no matter what, never abandoned Harry? Who's the one person who was there for him at every point? Who was the only person who believed him when he said that he hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire? Who followed him to the Department of Mysteries even though she thought it was a trap? Come on, James! It's obvious she loves him!" James blinked.

"That doesn't prove love, Lily," he said rather weakly, knowing exactly what argument Lily was going to bring up in her defense, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Actions speak louder than words, James. Did _I_ ever believe you when you said you loved me back in fifth and sixth year?" James shook his head sullenly. "What made me believe you?" He paused, unwilling to answer, but sure he had to.

"When Hogsmeade was attacked and I—" he stopped, unwilling to go on.

"And you nearly died trying to make sure I was safe," she finished for him, giving his cheek a quick kiss.

"What about Ginny? She's risked her life for him."

"Twice. Hermione has done everything she could for him since first year."

"Ginny would have done more, but—"

"But Harry broke up with her, yes, I get it. He was trying to 'protect' her." Lily rolled her eyes and watched as her son and his two friends left the Headmaster's office and headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

"You just don't like Ginny."

"No, I don't."

"And you know, by your logic, it means that Lovegood girl must care for Harry too because she's helped him out many times, and risked her life for him."

"Well, better Luna than Ginny," Lily snapped. James frowned at the harsh reaction.

"There's something else." It wasn't a question. He waited patiently as his wife struggled to answer.

"Don't you think it's odd? The feelings weren't gradual. Basically, he woke up one morning and thought, 'Hey, I love my best mate's sister!'" James chuckled, seeing her point. Even James hadn't fallen in love in one day. It had taken him almost a year to figure it out.

"He never said he loved her, just that he fancies her," James pointed out, and to his surprise, his wife grinned excitedly.

"I'm counting on that," she said, waving off his question as she listened into the trio's conversation, discussing what they wanted to do next.

"Well, obviously, I'm coming back to Hogwarts once it reopens. Imagine, not getting our N.E.W.T.S!" she said rather breathlessly. James gave Lily a pointed look and mouthed, 'She's like you!' before turning to Ron. He seemed uncertain and wary.

"I…I'm going to stay behind. George and well…mum is upset, and I couldn't leave them all for school. They need me." He blushed, but Lily nodded. James knew she didn't particularly like the redhead, but she recognized loyalty when she saw it. The boy may have been jealous and immature, but his heart was in the right place. Hermione and Ron both turned to look at Harry expectantly.

"Please say you're going back to school. Please!" Lily muttered, causing James to chuckle yet again. But then, to their ultimate surprise, Harry turned his head slightly, his eyes focused on exactly where the two of them were standing. He smiled gently, making James wonder if he could see and hear them now.

"I'm with Hermione. I think a year of ordinary school would do me good," he said. Ron looked shocked, but Hermione had a smug look on her face, like she had expected such an answer.

Lily grinned as well, listening to Ron and Harry discuss the pros and cons of going to school, while James just wondered what his wife thought she could do when she no longer belonged in that world.

xxx

"You're what?"

It was several months after the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Harry and Hermione, after they had gone to find her parents, had worked with the Aurors to track down any remaining Death Eaters on the run. Ron had alternated his time between trying to cheer up his increasingly depressed brother, George, making sure his mother was alright, and working with Harry and Hermione.

But now, there was a week left until the start of school, and no one had taken the news that Harry was returning for his seventh year well, especially the youngest Weasley.

James and Lily watched as Harry desperately tried to silence Ginny, but all his attempts were thwarted.

"I don't know what you mean when you say you're going back to school. _I'm_ not going back, _Ron's_ not going back, why on earth would_ you_ go back?" she snapped. James winced, realizing before the girl that she had said the wrong thing.

"Hermione's going back," Harry said softly. James tried to ignore Lily's obvious excitement about what was going on. He still didn't think it was wise of her to disregard Ron's feelings the way she was, but over the past few months, he understood her dislike of Ginny. Hermione thought out her actions, and always took the course that was best for everyone, not just herself. She concentrated on making sure Harry was alright, and she worked hard to help out a family that was in desperate need of friends. Ginny seemed almost…self-centered.

"So?"

"She's my best friend."

"I'm your girlfriend," Ginny retorted. Finally, Harry seemed to reach his limit. He stepped away from Ginny and shook his head.

"I'm going back for my seventh year, and I'm not going to argue about it anymore," he said, his voice stern. The girl stared at him for a moment, and James was almost sure she was about to give Harry an ultimatum—her or school—but instead she shrugged and turned around, heading towards the house. Harry just stood there for several moments, running his fingers through his hair, and sighing.

"We shouldn't be here," James told his wife slowly, watching how she seemed so upset at Harry's obvious anguish. She stared up at him and shook her head.

"Why doesn't she realize he _needs_ to go back?" Lily whispered. James blinked, turning to look at his son who seemed quite lost for the first time since Voldemort's downfall.

"I don't know," he said quietly.

xxx

James and Lily sat leaning against each other in one of the comfortable chairs in front of the fire. They both remembered how, back when they were Head Boy and Girl, they used to spend their afternoons just talking in the same exact chair. Now, Harry and Hermione used the Head common room, though both of them had instead locked themselves in their respective bedrooms.

"I know what you're thinking," James finally said aloud, knowing his wife was expecting some sort of comment on what had occurred earlier. She raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "So he held her hand, why does it matter?"

"He wasn't just holding it, he was practically stroking it!" James frowned slightly, still not understanding Lily. "And what about their conversation?"

"She was upset and in need of a friend. He held her hand, and joked around to make her feel better. I don't know why…" James trailed off as he stared into his wife's eyes. He knew that look. She had already connected the dots he hadn't, and she looked smug.

"You know, even Remus and Sirius agree with me," she said matter of factly. James scowled.

"They _always_ agree with you. Especially Sirius."

"Yes, but they both met Hermione, talked to her, watched Harry interact with her. Don't you think they know better than you?" James rolled his eyes.

"Lily, you know I love you, but I think you're completely insane," he stated with a smile. Lily gave his shoulder a light slap as she grinned.

"Think about it carefully. There's a reason why Hermione can't go two days without getting in an argument with Ron, why Harry feels like he can't relate to Ginny anymore. They're with the wrong people!" James stared at her, thinking about the events that had occurred only half an hour earlier—and he couldn't help but begin to see her point.

"_Hermione? Would you help me with this essay?" Harry asked as he ran his fingers through his hair in agitation. He was sitting at his desk, his eyes fixed on the Transfiguration textbook, his quill held tightly in his hand. Hermione looked up from where she sat on the couch._

"_Which one?" she asked in a slightly muffled voice. Harry looked up in shock, realizing that her eyes were red, and she looked like she had been crying. _

"_Are you alright?" he said, immediately standing and walking over to her, giving her a look of pure concern. Hermione nodded, but under Harry's intense gaze, she gave in._

"_Ron." The one word let Harry know everything he needed to understand her current situation. He walked over until he was right in front of her, and then knelt, taking her hand in his. _

"_Is he being a git again?" Harry asked with a small smile, gently rubbing a circle on her hand with his thumb. Hermione sniffed._

"_I don't understand why he says some of the things he says! You never say things that hurt me this much," she sniffed again as several tears escaped her eyes. Harry looked at her for a moment before he pulled her into a tight hug._

"_Did you know Ginny didn't want me to come to Hogwarts? She said a few things that made me feel terrible, but you have to remember that they're not doing it on purpose."_

"_So as long as I don't do it on purpose, it's ok to make him feel terrible?" Hermione asked sarcastically. Harry frowned and pulled away._

"_Well, when you put it that way, I guess not," he said thoughtfully. Hermione looked at her hand, and he realized he was still rubbing circles. He immediately blushed and made to pull away, but she shook her head slightly, letting him know she didn't mind the contact. _

"_Sometimes I just feel that Ron doesn't want this relationship to continue, but just can't bring himself to say anything." Harry felt his eyes widen, but he quickly masked his features so she wouldn't notice. "Honestly, Harry, I'm beginning to feel that way as well." This time he couldn't hide his shock._

"_Y-you're going to break-up with him?" he asked, his voice wavering. For some odd reason, he could hear his own happiness at the news in his voice. Hermione raised an eyebrow._

"_That was a bit of a happy reaction to that news, Harry. Have anything to tell me?" she asked with a wry smile. Harry grinned at her._

"_Ah, you've figured me out! I'm actually in love with you!" he laughed, and Hermione chuckled as well. _

"_Well goodness, Harry. If I had known you had that sort of feelings for me, I'd never have dated Ron!" _

"_So, how do we break the news to Ron and Ginny?" he asked her, tilting his head thoughtfully. _

"_How about…we say that we've finally realized our feelings after a passionate session of looking over Harry's Transfiguration essay that he can't seem to do correctly?" Hermione said, laughing at Harry's scowl. _

"_You're terrible. Thanks Miss 'Brightest Witch of Her Age' for making me feel stupid." _

"_Just let me see the essay," Hermione laughed, ignoring his comment. Harry let go of her hand and rushed over to his desk and handed his essay over._

"_I get the whole concept, but I suppose I can't put it into words," he explained, reading the essay over her shoulder. Hermione looked at it for several minutes before she crossed out a few lines and added a short paragraph to the end. _

"_There. Now it's perfect," she said with a brilliant smile. She began to stuff her things into her bag, and turned to Harry who was once again absorbed in his essay. "Harry?" He looked at her with a smile, his eyes bright behind his glasses. "Thank you." Harry just grinned even wider before giving her a nod, as if saying it was no big deal._

"_Goodnight, Hermione." _

James had watched his son interact with his best friend, and he had to admit that Lily may be right. Even the issue of Ron was no longer a problem because it seemed the boy wasn't even happy with his relationship.

"See?" Lily said gleefully, obviously overjoyed that her husband had seen her way. James nodded.

"Fine. You're right," he sighed, surprised when Lily bent forward to kiss him. "I need to remember to agree with you more often," he laughed, earning himself another playful slap in the shoulder.

xxx

The school year was drawing to a close, and James had never seen his son so happy. He and Hermione spent all their time with each other, laughing, talking, and just taking comfort in the other's presence. Hermione had broken up with a grateful Ron, who admitted to Harry that he had a thing for Luna, and Harry found himself writing to Ginny less and less, until it finally just stopped.

Lily said that it wasn't that bad, since she had been keeping an eye on Ginny, and the young woman didn't seem upset at all, but James worried. He felt as if Harry had somehow exceed his happiness quota, and everything was about to come crashing down. And of course, several weeks into the summer break, his prediction to Lily came true, when Harry and Ginny had their biggest argument ever.

Hermione had left Hogwarts with the highest honors, and she went straight to her parents, spending as much time as she could with them. Harry and Kreacher had cleaned up Grimmauld Place so that it was virtually unrecognizable, so that it would be fit for living for himself and sometimes little Teddy Lupin whenever Andromeda trusted Harry enough to allow him to care for the child. He had been invited to the Burrow earlier that week, and James could see that his son wasn't quite excited about seeing his girlfriend. It seemed Harry was feeling guilty about avoiding her. The couple's reunion went terribly.

"I honestly think this is private," James said quietly, but Lily shushed him as she watched Ginny intently.

"Harry," the girl was saying, "what happened to you?" Her brown eyes were accusatory, her voice cold. Harry frowned.

"What d'you mean?"

"You've changed. I feel like you don't even trust me anymore." Harry's frown deepened.

"Again. What d'you mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"How come you seem so…happy?" she asked him, and there was no mistaking the menace in her voice.

"You're upset because I seem happy?"

"I'm upset because I'm not the one who's making you happy!" Lily snorted, giving James an amused glance. Harry made the mistake of laughing.

"Is that what this is about? Merlin's beard, Ginny, if you were feeling this way, you could have just told me!" he laughed again. Ginny didn't seem amused.

"You know what, Harry? I _don't_ think it's funny."

"Oh, come on, relax—"

"No! I've had enough of you sharing more with Hermione and Luna than with me!"

"I'm sorry! But Hermione was there with me every step of the way, and Luna is Ron's girlfriend, so we've become really good friends! Besides, why d'you even care?" he snapped.

"What? What does that mean?"

"Every time I tried to talk to about how I felt, you'd find a way to get out of it, or you'd just ignore me! Luna and Hermione, they listen, they actually care about what I say. That's why I talk to them. That's why I share more with them!" Harry stood and began to pace, infuriated that Ginny was pulling this on him, when she hadn't been there for him once.

"You stopped writing!"

"Yeah, because you were always more concerned about yourself! I tried letting you in, I truly did, but you kept going on and on about Dean's new girlfriend, and Michael's newest job. I don't care!"

"I was trying to make you jealous!" she yelled, her face as red as her hair.

"Why?" he yelled back. Not even James and Lily could have predicted her answer.

"Because I was jealous of you and Hermione!" Her hands flew to her mouth as if she couldn't believe she had said such a thing, and Lily cheered from beside James.

"You had no reason to be," Harry stated. Ginny laughed mirthlessly.

"You're so blind, Harry! Everyone, even _Ron_, knows by now, but you don't. I could tell from the moment you wanted to go to Hogwarts!"

"Tell what?" Harry snapped, seemingly reached his limit. Lily grabbed James' arm in excitement.

"She'll tell him!" Lily laughed, and James smiled slightly. She was right. If Ginny put aside her own feelings and only thought of Harry, perhaps his son could have the happiness he deserved. Because if Ginny didn't force the truth down his throat, James doubted Harry would ever figure it out.

"That you love her!" Ginny said in a whisper, causing Harry to look at her in shock. Lily smiled at Ginny, obviously proud of the girl who had done the right thing. James laughed as Harry's shocked expression turned into a goofy grin. He ran forward and pulled Ginny into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Ginny!" he cried out happily. "You're right! I do love her! I love Hermione Granger!" Lily burst into tears of happiness and she hugged James as tightly as she could. They watched as Harry wasted no more time, and left to find Hermione to tell her how he felt. They watched Ginny sport a sad smile, and Ron come up from behind her.

"I know it must have been hard, but you did the right thing," he told his little sister. Ginny laughed.

"Just like you did when you let go of Hermione?" Ron grinned and nodded.

"But look at me now! I'm happier than I've ever been. And I'm sure you'll be the same soon."

James smiled at the redheaded boy who Harry considered his best friend, and James realized that his son couldn't have made a better choice.

xxx

"So, are you satisfied yet?" James asked Lily. She was still watching the two young adults, Harry talking rapidly to an astonished Hermione in her parents' house. They had decided not to listen in—after all, when James had told Lily he loved her, it had been quite a private moment.

"I'm never satisfied when it comes to Harry," Lily said with a laugh, watching as Hermione threw herself in Harry's arms and kissed him.

"But you're pretty close right now, right?" James asked with a grin, the goofy look on his son's face looking quite familiar—was his own exact look when Lily had admitted she loved him.

"Yes, I'm close," she laughed, leaning against James, and resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"Remus and Sirius will be happy, too, when they hear the news," James whispered, in her ear. "I bet they'll want to celebrate."

"I suppose," Lily murmured, and James pulled her into a tight hug, kissing the side of her forehead gently.

"Don't worry, Lily. After all, it's not like we're really leaving him."

"You're right. We never really left."


End file.
